Insomnia Costs Us, Big Time

Massage therapy effects relaxation and rest—components of self-care that could result in better sleep patterns.

New research shows insomnia is costing the U.S. workforce more than $63 billion a year in lost productivity. Insomnia is costing the average U.S. worker 11.3 days, or $2,280 in lost productivity every year, according to a study in a recent issue of the journal Sleep. As a nation, the total cost is 252.7 days and $63.2 billion.

“We were shocked by the enormous impact insomnia has on the average person’s life,” said lead author Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D. “It’s an underappreciated problem. Americans are not missing work because of insomnia. They are still going to their jobs but accomplishing less because they’re tired. In an information-based economy, it’s difficult to find a condition that has a greater effect on productivity.”

The estimated prevalence of insomnia in the AIS sample was 23.2 percent among employees. Insomnia also was found to be significantly lower (14.3 percent) among workers age 65 and older, and higher among working women (27.1 percent) than working men (19.7 percent).

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